The present invention is directed to a quick disconnect for a rotary mounted slitting knife and more specifically, to an actuator for simultaneously releasing a plurality of knife clamping members to facilitate rapid replacement of a knife.
Typically, a slitting knife is bolted to a rotating member. When a knife needs to be replaced for sharpening, the bolts must be removed and the production line must be shut down for the period that it takes to change the knife. A typical knife mounting has mounting pilots and a bolt hole circle on a flange for receiving the knife.
The U.S. Patent to Tidland et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,475) and the U.S. Patent to Newton (U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,892) both disclose retaining rings having elongated slots with enlarged end portions for engagement with bolts threaded into the hub and extending through the slots. The clamping ring and slots of Tidland et al. are best seen in FIG. 10 whereas the clamping assembly of Newton is best seen in FIG. 1. However, both of these patents require the loosening of each individual bolt before the retaining plate can be rotated and removed to allow replacement of the cutting blade.
The U.S. Patent to Kobayashi (U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,388) discloses a rotary knife assembly wherein the rotary knife is fitted on a reduced diameter portion of a flange. A resilient member is mounted on the flange for urging the rotary knife toward the flange portion and there is a shifting mechanism mounted on the flange for shifting the rotary knife in a direction away from the flange against the urging force of the resilient member. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement is provided for moving a plunger member 35 into and out of engagement with the rotary knife to move it against the resilient member. However, the piston and cylinder arrangement is not disclosed for use with studs for simultaneously moving a plurality of studs out of engagement with a retaining plate to permit replacement of the rotary knife.